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Monday, September 8, 2008

Whale leap gives twitchers a surprise

By Daily Telegraph Reporter

This is the breathtaking moment a humpback whale was caught on camera leaping from the sea
Photographer Ross Newham knows of only one other similar picture taken off the British coast. Photo: SWNS

The extremely rare photograph of the 50ft mammal was taken by wildlife enthusiast Ross Newham just two miles off the Isles of Scilly, near Cornwall.

Mr Newham, 41, was on a bird watching trip when the whale leapt in front of his boat, providing him with the picture opportunity of a lifetime.

"On our way out I spotted this large whale about 300 yards away and that's when things started to get exciting,' said Mr Ross, of Maidstone, Kent.

"All of us were looking at the right patch of sea, which was flat calm, when it decided to leap out of the water. Fortunately, I was the one who pressed the button at the right time. It was a very special moment to witness something like that."

Mr Newham, a communications manager for a plant research company, took the stunning photographs of the migratory species last Saturday.

He said he knew of only one other similar picture taken off the British coast, and that was off Scotland more than a decade ago.

Original here

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